Funeral services for retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Richard “Rick” Barr Cayton, 70, of Killeen, will be held 9 a.m. Tuesday at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen.
A committal service with full military honors will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
Mr. Cayton was born on March 9, 1951, in El Paso, Texas.
He died peacefully on July 4, 2021, in Round Rock, Texas, after courageously fighting pancreatic cancer for four months.
Rick served our country proudly from 1969 to 1995 as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army. He loved being a soldier, and served in combat with the 75th Rangers in Vietnam, Desert One in Iraq, Grenada, and in Desert Storm as command sergeant major of the 1st Armored Division. Later, he was selected as the III Corps command sergeant major and finished his career as the FORSCOM command sergeant major. Highly decorated during his combat tours, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, 2 Silver Stars, 3 Legions of Merit, and 5 Purple Hearts along with many other service awards. He was proud to be a “soldier’s soldier,” and he lived every day of his life gratified by the time he dedicated to the military.
After his Army career, Rick felt strongly about returning to the Fort Hood area in order to contribute meaningfully to the community which had so significantly supported his family when he was on active duty. He and his family owned and operated Killeen Boats & Motors and Texas Boat World for many years. After retiring (again), Rick continued to serve his country through contracted work in combat zones overseas with the State Department.
Rick was an avid fisherman, and he loved to be at his cabin on the White River in Arkansas; he especially enjoyed sharing his love of fishing with everyone he met. Rick never met a stranger, and he could often be found visiting and making friends with people wherever he went. Rick remained diligently involved in support of military veterans and their families — a cause near and dear to his heart; he spent his years of (actual) retirement volunteering regularly with various local organizations. Rick remained very active in retirement, and could always be found outside working in his yard or fixing things around the house. Rick was an incredibly loyal and protective husband, father, and Papa.
Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Johnnie Cayton; his father-in-law, Tom Golden; and several beloved aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of nearly forty-two years, Laura. He was a fun “girl dad” who leaves behind three daughters: Rickie and husband Jason Redman of Sudan, Texas; Jessie of Lubbock, Texas; and Heather and husband Jason Kereszi of Clarksville, Tennessee. Rick is also survived by “his boys,” Ranger and Sarge. His grandchildren are Cayton, Dylon, and Bradyn Redman; his grand-pets are Kilo Redman and Agatha and Neville Cayton. Rick is survived by additional loving family members in various states, with whom he enjoyed calling and visiting often.
The family would like to recognize Rick’s treatment team and specifically his oncologists and their staff at M.D. Anderson, for their tireless efforts assisting the family and Rick in his fight against cancer; the Emergency Room staff at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights, who selflessly fought on Rick’s behalf; and the Intensive Care Unit at Ascension Seton Williamson Hospital. The family is especially grateful for the patriotic and deeply moving send-off Rick received from Seton Williamson after his passing, as part of their “Honor the Red, White and Blue” Program. Rick was a God-fearing, born-again Christian. Throughout his battle with cancer, Rick loved to remind people that “we can do all things, through Christ who strengthens us.”
Visitation will be held 6 p.m. Monday at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen.
In lieu of flowers, and in furtherance of Rick’s passion to help veterans heal through fishing, the family requests donations be made to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.
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